New Releases by Gennifer Choldenko

Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur. Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster, Stewie--a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean, and Smokey--a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control. But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

Readers will be rooting for a happy ending for Hank in Newbery-Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko’s gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn''t come home. When eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long… Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact. But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he''s been trying to keep secret. And if they can''t find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes--he could lose everything. Gennifer Choldenko has written a heart-wrenching, healing, and ultimately hopeful story about how complicated family can be. About how you can love someone, even when you can’t rely on them. And about the transformative power of second chances.

From beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations from Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a forever home in readers’ hearts. Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since her owners unwittingly left her with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town. Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home. And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves. When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.

For readers who love the circus, and anyone who has dreamed of finding the perfect home, comes an engaging adventure from a Newbery Honor-winning storyteller. Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing, until life at the Home silenced her. The other orphans find work and friends at the circus, but no one will hire a mute girl. Lucy must find her voice or she will be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her. This irresistible, heartfelt novel by the master storyteller of the Tales from Alcatraz series is full of marvels and surprises.

A funny story about a lovable family and the best dog ever from the Newbery Honor-winning author of Al Capone Does My Shirts and the Tales from Alcatraz series. Fifth grade is not for amateurs, according to Liam. Luckily, he knows that being more than one-third nerd is not cool. Liam lives in the Bay area near San Francisco with his mom and two younger sisters. Dakota is fascinated by science and has a big personality but struggles to make friends; Izzy, a child with Down syndrome, makes friends easily and notices things that go past everyone else. Dad lives across town, but he''s over a lot. And then there''s Cupcake, their lovable German shepherd, who guards their basement apartment. Recently, Cupcake has a problem--she''s peeing in the house. The kids need to make enough money to take her to the vet before their landlord upstairs finds out. And Mom and Dad have said if Cupcake doesn''t stop, they will find her a new home. But the kids will never let Cupcake go. Can they save her? "A smart, funny, sweet story about a wonderfully real family. And their leaky dog." --JON SCIESZKA, the first National Ambassador for Young People''s Literature and the award-winning author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Return to Al Capone''s Alcatraz with Newbery Honor-winning author Gennifer Choldenko in this charming addition to the beloved series about the son of a prison guard. Moose Flanagan''s father is the assistant warden of Alcatraz--the roughest hard-time prison in America--so he and his family live on the island. It''s the summer before high school, and he is desperate to get on the baseball team. The problem? The captain will only let Moose and his best friend on if they get him something from Alcatraz--something impossible. Meanwhile, Moose must keep an eye on his fragile older sister, Natalie, as well as the warden''s two-faced, danger-loving daughter, Piper, who has a crush on him. He must learn to stand up to people: His parents. The warden. Piper. Even the most dangerous criminal in the country--Al Capone. And then Moose gets the pitch of a lifetime and delivers a hit no one on Alcatraz will ever forget. Don''t miss the rest of the Tales from Alcatraz series! Al Capone Does My Shirts Al Capone Shines My Shoes Al Capone Does My Homework

A heartwarming father-son story about bravery and facing fears. Nicholas was afraid of the dark outside his door, the bushes where the giant bugs live, and the underside of manhole covers. His dad was not afraid of anything. Nicholas wants to be as brave as his dad, but he needs help. That’s why he needs a dinosaur. After all, dinosaurs like the dark, bugs are nothing to them, and they eat manhole covers for lunch (and everything under them for dinner). With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again. Luckily, his dad knows that even the bravest people can get scared, and it’s okay to ask for help facing your fears. It’s just guy stuff. A family classic in the making from the dream team of Newbery Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko and Caldecott Medal-winner Dan Santat. ★ "[Choldenko''s] knowing, understated storytelling and Santat’s warm, expressive spreads give full credence to the fears that weigh on kids, as well as the presences—both real and imagined—that can help alleviate them."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Newbery Honor–winning author Gennifer Choldenko deftly combines humor, tragedy, fascinating historical detail, and a medical mystery in this exuberant new novel. San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague. The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love. Winner of a Los Angeles Public Library FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature) Award Nominated for: Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Awards Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award (Middle School division) Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL) Readers Award California Library Association’s Beatty Award, Eureka List

A segregated town, a hidden boy, a courageous girl - and a mystery in desperate need of solving. San Francisco, 1900. Thirteen-year-old Lizzy Kennedy is not like the other girls in her town. She''d much rather be helping her doctor father with his patients than be stuck in frilly dresses and learn how to dance - but unfortunately for her, society (and her Aunt Hortense) has other ideas about what is ''proper'' for a young lady. This includes not poking your nose in other''s people''s business - but then Jing, their beloved housekeeper, gets stuck in the Chinatown quarantine. Fear rules San Francisco - fear of the Chinese, and mostly fear of the plague rumours that circle them. Lizzie knows she has to help Jing, whatever the warnings. But what she doesn''t expect to find is a strange boy hiding in Jing''s room. The boy is called Noah. He says he''s Jing''s son - although Lizzie''s never heard of him - and although he''s escaped the quarantine, he can''t risk leaving the house in case he gets rounded-up too. Lizzie wants to investigate, but it seems her questions only get people riled up. Is there really plague in San Francisco? What have the Chinese got to do with it? Just what or who is the mysterious ''monkey'' - and what has his secret got to do with anything? Lizzie will have to use all of her courage, instinct and cleverness to unravel the mystery of the monkey''s secret, save Jing, Noah and Chinatown - and maybe even her change her own destiny.

A hilarious story that shows kids that they can get themselves to sleep at bedtime! Sam is never ready to go to sleep at bedtime. There are always more questions to ask Mama, more books to read . . . not to mention the monkeys! Sam’s rambunctious trio of toy monkeys would much rather jump on the bed and make up songs about ping pong than go to sleep. Eventually Sam wants to go to sleep. But how will he ever get the monkeys to settle down? This story’s silly monkey mayhem also includes a calming bedtime routine that really works.

Alcatraz Island in the 1930s isn''t the most normal place to grow up, but it''s home for Moose Flanagan, his autistic sister, Natalie, and all the families of the guards. When Moose''s dad gets promoted to Associate Warden, despite being an unlikely candidate, it''s a big deal. But the cons have a point system for targeting prison employees, and his dad is now in serious danger. After a fire starts in the Flanagan''s apartment, Natalie is blamed, and Moose bands with the other kids to track down the possible arsonist. Then Moose gets a cryptic note from the notorious Al Capone himself. Is Capone trying to protect Moose''s dad too? If Moose can''t figure out what Capone''s note means, it may be too late. The last heart-pounding installment in the New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor-winning Alcatraz trilogy is not to be missed! "Superlative historical fiction." -- School Library Journal (starred review for Al Capone Shines My Shoes)

Ant (short for Antonia) is sure she is adopted. She doesn''t look anything like her mother or her sisters - or even her dad (who is away working too much). Ant''s best friend is a boy called Harrison who draws chickens, and her dog Pistachio, a tiny ageing chihuahua, is her constant companion, but she feels that she just doesn''t fit in. Ant''s life meanders along until one day her lying starts to cause her, and those around her, some rather serious problems. Forced to face up to some of the things she has spent her life trying to hide from, in particular Ant has to come to terms with why she doesn''t get on with her mother. An uplifting, exciting and truly original story.

Kirsten''s world is crumbling. Her parents are barely speaking to each other and her ''best-friend'' has fallen under the spell of queen bee, Brianna. For Walker the goal is simply to survive in the private school his mother has moved him to because she doesn''t want him to mess up with most of the kids in his old school. Then Kirsten discovers something that has a big impact on both her and Walker''s lives.

Moose''s sister has got a place in the perfect school on the mainland, one that will help her deal with her autism. But there is one hitch. She got the place with the help of Al Capone and now it''s payback time. Soon Moose is caught up in a terrible cycle of secrets and favours that threatens to destabilise his entire family in this nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat novel.

After losing their house to foreclosure, three siblings - India, Finn and Mouse - have less than twenty-four hours to pack their belongings and fly, without their mother, to stay with an uncle in Colorado. But when they land, a mysterious driver meets them at the airport in a pink car adorned with feathers. He has never heard of their Uncle Red. Like Dorothy in Oz, they find themselves in an unknown place, with no idea of how to get home. Time is running out . . .

A selection of nominees and winners of the Monarch and Bluestem children''s book awards on a full-color Kindle Fire.

River and Niko find their dad is missing, and they have no choice but to track him down. But when they discover the clues lead to a shady reptile dealer, they start to think they might have gotten in over their heads. A short story from Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Too shy to approach the girl he likes, Jackson hides little gifts for her to discover before Valentine''s Day.

Lili is so shy that her voice is never heard in class until the day a good friend needs her help.

Kirsten and Walk, seventh-graders at an elite private school, alternate telling how race, wealth, weight, and other issues shape their relationships as they and other misfits stand up to a mean but influential classmate, even as they are uncovering a long-kept secret about themselves.

The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read! Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I''m not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don''t want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you''re me. I came here because my mother said I had to. A Newbery Honor Book A New York Times Bestseller A People magazine "Best kid''s Book" An ALA Book for Young Adults An ALA Notable Book A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Krikus Reviews Editor''s Choice A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Parents'' Choice Silver Honor Book A New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" Selection A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age *"Choldenko''s pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"Exceptionally atmospheric, fast-paced and memorable!"—Publishers Weekly, starred review *"The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers."—School Library Journal, starred review "Al is the perfect novel for a young guy or moll who digs books by Gordon Korman, or Louis Sachar."—Time Out New York for Kids "Funny situations and plot twists abound!"—People magazine "Heartstopping in some places, heartrending in others, and most of all, it is heartwarming."—San Francisco Chronicle

The other first-graders make fun of the new boy because he is so tall, but his short classmate Jake helps him fit in.

Moose und die Mafia - aufregende Tage auf Alcatraz Der zwölfjährige Moose wohnt mit seiner Familie seit kurzem auf Alcatraz - sein Vater arbeitet dort als Gefängniswärter. Moose fällt es nicht leicht, sich auf der Gefängnisinsel einzuleben. Das liegt vor allem an Piper, der Tochter des Direktors, die immer wieder Unfrieden stiftet, und nicht so sehr an den Gefangenen. Denn der Faszination, Tür an Tür mit Al Capone zu leben, kann auch Moose sich nicht entziehen. Und als seine Schwester eines Tages Hilfe braucht, wendet Moose sich mit einer Bitte an den berühmten Verbrecher ... "Fesselnd und wunderbar zu lesen!" (Kirkus Reviews) "Außergewöhnlich und atmosphärisch dicht! Choldenko schildert die Stimmungsschwankungen in Moose'' Familie genauso nuanciert wie das Mysterium Alcatraz und das Miteinander der Kinder auf der Insel." (Publishers Weekly)

The horse seriously doubts that the cow will ever be able to jump over the Moon but offers respect and admiration when the determined bovine accomplishes that feat.